Ishbalan Alchemist
by Sopf of the Fallen
Summary: AU. Ed and Al try to transmute their mother back from the dead with forbidden alchemy. Only for it to backlash and Ed loses his leg and his arm to attach Al's soul to a suit of armour. Ed and Al search for the mythical philosophers stone. Only problem is they are from Ishbal and the military hate Ishbalan's so how is Ed and Al hide themselves. OOC
1. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

**Hey everyone this is my 1st Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic and ive only read the 1st four mangas and the first anime but i have yet to watch brotherhood so forgive me if something doesnt make sense. all grammer/spelling errors are all mine.**

**ENJOY! **

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

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Edward and Alphonse Elric stared. Both are shaking with shock from seeing their only mother just get shot. Right in the chest, the bullet lodged itself inside their mother's heart, killing her before she could muster a scream. The brothers both hugged each other in fear of the man, that had a sadistic grin when he pulled the trigger. Ed and Al closed their eyes bracing themselves from the gun pointed in their direction. "I hate all Ishbalan's, and you two kids are no exception," the man rose the gun, aimed and shot.

BAM! BAM!

But the bullets never reached its target. Edward had transmuted the wood from underneath them and made a shield from the bullets, protecting them both. The man's mouth dropped in surprise and shock, he knew Ishbalan's thought of alchemy as a taboo and a devils craftsmanship. Why would this blonde haired ishbalan boy know alchemy. The man ran out of the house when other officers asked for back-up.

"Al, its alright he's gone. He isn't coming back," Ed whispered to his scared little brother, Ed closing his eyes trying to remove the image of his dead mother out of his mind. He clutched tighter when tears started falling from his eyes like small little rivers. Both of them crying until the shooting stopped. Then the silence came, Ed opened his eyes and saw that the sun was no longer shining and in fact the moon had risen and its eerie glow was the only light.

"Brother im scared," Alphonse's voice hoarse from the crying. "I want to get out of here." Ed wiped the tears still falling from his brothers eyes. Ed got up and pulled his little brother up as well and they ran from the small house to the underground church where the victims of the Ishbalan war were refuging. When they arrived they were instantly taken to the large infirmary and looked at. Both boys were unharmed but shaken.

"Alice, could you take theses two to the other children, please?" asks one of the nurses. A teenager took the two boys to where the nurse specified and sat down with them and the others. The other children ranged from two to seventeen, all of them with red eyes and tanned skin stereotyping them from Ishbal. Edward and Alphonse have red eyes and have lighter than normal of an Ishbalan skin and light hair. If seen by the military they would have been shot dead.

* * *

For days the war went on and more and more people were arriving at the church. More and more were killed. And the more and more angrier Ed got. Why did the military have to come and start a war, Ed thought. But my main goal is to keep Alphonse alive. When the moon rose that night it would change. When the clock struck midnight, there was nothing but silence. Not a sound could be heard, except the breathing of the others in the room. For everyone it was time to sleep, but not for Edward Elric. Edward wanted his mother back and for this war to stop, he remembered his father leaving a book on human transmutation and left the church and arrived at the surface.

It looked like a bomb had gone off and one probably had. Ed wasted no time and quietly walked towards his house and when he arrived he went down into the basement and found the book and lit a candle, knowing there was no windows for the light to slip through. It was almost dawn when he had finished the book and decided to take Alphonse with him to transmute his mother back when night struck again.

* * *

"Carbon 18 grams, hydrogen 10 grams, nitrogen 3 grams, calcium 1.5 grams, phosphorous 1.2 grams, potassium 0.2 grams, sulfur 0.2 grams, chlorine 0.2 grams, sodium 0.1 grams, magnesium 0.5 grams, iron 3.8 grams and small traces of other elements" Edward read out of the book. Looking up at an unsure Alphonse, Ed smiled reassuringly. "Ready, Alphonse?" Al nodded. They both clapped their hands together and put them on the human transmutation circle. It glowed a blinding blue then suddenly turned a bloody red and backlashed. Ed could hear the screams of pain from his younger brother and saw black moving slime-like arms grab his brother and drag him into the middle of the circle.

Edward felt the same pain the same arms grabbing his left leg and ripping it right off. He screamed loudly, the pain making him want to pass out, fear of his little brothers life keeping him awake. Ed then saw a suit of armor remembering how to attach a soul to the armor he drew the transmutation circle with his blood, praying that it would bring his brother back. Feeling the intense pain of his right arm being ripped off, Edward passed out the last thing he hears was his Alphonse's voice whispering 'brother?'.

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**HOPE YOU ENJOY MY NEW STORY IVE WANTED TO TRY IT OUT AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL LIKE IT!**


	2. Chapter 2: Train Travel

**second chapter up and a long one although its pretty similar to the 5th ep! i forgot this last chapter I DONT OWN ANYTHING! I DONT LIVE IN JAPAN AND I SUCK AT DRAWING! enjoy**

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Chapter 2: Train Travel

Alphonse was frightened, he was terrified, his brother has lost an arm and leg and was in a suit of armor. He was so confused, but his brother needed help and the flash of light must have caught the military's eyes because he could hear voices above. He grabbed his brother's body and smashed through the wall and ran as fast as he could to safety and somewhere where he could let his brother have his limbs tended to, he knew god wouldn't help them when they both were willing to commit a sin to bring their mother back only for it to not be anything like their mother, something that wasn't human.

Alphonse headed east surprising he had been running for hours and wasn't feeling any tiredness. But he continued until he reached a house, a sign sat abode the front lawn 'Rockbell Automail', Alphonse knew the Rockbell's they were treating wounded Ishabalan's. Alphonse thought the other family members would help his older brother. He ran up and knocked on the door, almost bashing it off its hinges.

When the door opened a young girl stood their eyes widened at the sight. " please help him, he's dying!" the young girl opened the door more to let Al inside and called her grandmother out shouting 'its an emergency'. When the short woman comes into Al's line of vision her face is emotionless. "Ishbalan's," she sighed known that the young boy was going to die soon and that he needed new limbs and to recover. Pinako knew it was dangerous to keep them around but she couldn't toss them away.

She took the young boy and put bandages and cleaned his wounds and made sure the boy was stable before looking at the other boy. "What happened to this boy?" asks Pinako. Pinako stares at Alphonse waiting for him to answer the question. "We tried human transmutation to bring back our mother."

"You did what?!" screeched Pinako. "Human transmutation is forbidden alchemy. You should not have gotten yourselves involved in it." Al just stared, his armor going limp. "To us alchemy is forbidden in all areas, we learned it secretly and we are very talented. If this war had not happened Ed and I would leave for central as soon as possible."

"Uh... Al?" a voice groaned from behind the closed bedroom door. The little girl opened the door and... "Ed! Your awake! I was so worried!" if Al was able to cry he would have right there and then. Ed looked at the armor, confused as to why his brothers voice had come from it. Before visions came rushing back to him reminding him that he gave up his right arm to attach his soul to the suit. Ed smiled, his brother was still with him.

* * *

(2 years later -Winry's parents were killed six months ago)

"Thanks Pinako! It feels amazing, almost like the real thing! Come on Al we need to - ugh" Ed was pulled into a hug from Winry and wrapped his arms around her and pulled back, blushing slightly. "You boys going to be okay? We have tried our hardest to make a disguise for you boys to hide in plain sight, but that powder comes off when wet so be careful, and take those contacts off when you go to bed. Now stay safe and come back whenever you like."

Al and Ed nod, Al grabbing the medium-sized bag and they walked down to the train station, paying for their ticket and sat on a bench waiting for the train, that would take them on the long ride to Central. Ed and Al had no idea what to do when they arrived, while they recovered they decided to learn everything they can to get Alphonse's body back. They both jumped when the trains loud whistle bleared and covered their ears until they couldn't hear the irritating noise.

The got on and soon the train took off and they looked out the window looking at the scenery that look foreign to them. " the forest looks so different from Ishbal," said Al. Ed only nodded not really paying attention to his brother and how loud he said it. "You boys seen Ishbal have you?" asks a female officer in the opposite booth. "Uh..." Ed didn't know who to respond it was a military officer and she was injured in the Ishbalan war no doubt. She didn't seem to notice Ed's hesitation. "That place is bad, I knew that place was bad to begin with, I mean this whole nonsense from one little mistake. Ishbalans are a bunch of idiots"

Ed's eyes narrowed, the desire to blast a hole in the train and push her off while breaking her legs seemed really pleasing. Alphonse knowing what his brother was thinking shock his head. He just ignored her for the rest of the ride to central. When it started to get dark a little girl from behind waved at Al, smiling. Al waved back but the girl jumped back down. "Am I scary Ed?" Al asks. "I would say so..." Ed trailed off and hearing whispers of the little girl saying something to her mother. But the little girl jumped back into view, "your funny," she giggles.

When Ed awoke in the morning something seemed off, something just wasn't right. He saw a man with white and black hair eyeing Al and him then running off slamming the door. The same man comes out and his suspicion's were correct when some large-sized men pulled guns from out of their waist bands and pointed them to the white and black-haired man, then they bash the man with the gun knocking him unconscious.

He heard hun shots from a cab further up, sounding like a machine gun. The men with guns hog tied the black and white-haired man and one looked around the cab the other searching the citizens clothing. when one of them caught sight of Edward and Alphonse they walk towards them until they are at arms distance. Ed stares behind and gasps making the men turn around and Ed jumps and kicks one of them in the head and Alphonse knocks the other one over the head. "What happens when their buddies come back, huh? If we listened we would make to Central intact, but now? I don't know?" says one person, others agreeing. Ed and Al didn't realize it, but one of the men grabbed his gun and aimed it at the little girl. Al stooping his large metal foot on the guys back making him miss his target.

Ed then took the gun from him and the man passed out. Then they heard groaning and looked ahead and noticed the black and white-haired man was awake and was struggling in his binds. Ed unties him. "This is embarrassing, who are you two?" the man asks. "We're Alchemists." not a total lie. "I'm Falman, Warrant Officer." Ed paused only for second Alphonse coming to the same conclusion. This man was a solider. "You don't look like a solider," says Al. "Well, im in disguise, people in the first cab..." he stopped looking at the floor. "The people in the front cabin are the people the criminals are after," says Al.

"I'll go above you and Falman go below," Al nods in agreement.

* * *

Alphonse stands in the hallway of the first cab, and a man comes out with the machine Ed heard earlier, and doesn't hesitate to shoot. "Wait, that's not a good ide- ". But the man didn't hear him, the bullets ricocheted all over the place one lodging itself in the mans leg. Another man cam out and it repeated itself.

* * *

Ed was slowly making his way to the front when he notice a branch hanging from a tree that was quickly coming his way and he tried ducking but was still hit and the strong wind pushing him back until he couldn't fell the cabs roof and closed his eyes waiting for the impact. But it never came. Ed opened his eyes to see a dark-haired man wearing a purple top. "I'm surprised you made it this far. I'm Hughes." Ed noticed the man had an arm wrapped around his waist and blushed and grabbed the ladder in front of him

Ed looked through a window see some men pointing guns at the engineer and poked his tounge out playful and pulling himself up before the men could spot him, and Hughes goes through the window on the opposite side and grabbing a knife and stabbing it into the mans hand and Ed knocked the other one out by kicking him in the head. The engineer punches them both in the face.

* * *

Ed gets up on the ladder getting on the top of the roof when a bullet misses him by millimeters. Ed draws a transmutation circle on the side of the train and transmute a cannon and firing it at the man who shot him.

"Wow! That was awesome!" says Hughes watching Ed. The engineer screaming to be careful of the tender it's the life of the train!" And Ed got a really good idea.

"Hey jerks, who are hold people hostage, if you let everyone go-"

"if you interfere ill kill the hostages one by one!" yells the ringleader.

"Okay then, Hostages take cover!" Ed transmuted the pipe to the cab and letting the water enter the cab, the open windows letting water escape.

1221211

After all of the criminals had been handcuffed Ed and Al got off the train and saw the ringleader break from his binds and sees a black-haired man in a military uniform, with gloves that have transmutation circles and watches him snap his fingers and the man is lit up like a candle then the flames disappear. "That was awesome!" The dark-haired man turned towards Edward noticing that his voice sound familiar. But he couldn't place it. He walks towards Edward, noticing Ed's body getting tense and defensive. Ed could see the 'Lt. Colonel Mustang' badge on his uniform.

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**this is a long chapter it is pretty much a remake of the 5th episode so not much ill update sooon!**


	3. Chapter 3: Exam

**well everyone new chapter! i dont own FMA or any characters!**

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Chapter 3: Exam

Roy Mustang knew that voice from somewhere, but he just couldn't place where. They boy whose voice is familiar has long blonde hair put up in a long braid. His skin was unusually pale considering it's the middle of summer. They boy's eyes caught his attention because they were reflecting the sun and looked artificial but he doubts the boy was blind by the way his eyes still moved around, they must be contacts.

The other one was in a suit of armor, but he has a young voice, prepubescent almost, but surely someone younger than the pipsqueak wasn't able to move the limbs of something that towered half a meter above the L.T. Colonel. As Mustang curiosity got the better of him he turned and walked to the duo, noticing how the midget's body stiffens and was in a position ready to attack at any moment.

He stops a meter away from the duo, catching the blonde's eyes, giving a warning glare to move closer. "So are you the two boys who helped Falman Hughes?" he asked, obsidian eyes glaring back at the false eyes in front of him. Roy had his hands in his pocket, thumb and middle fingers pressed against each other incase the pipsqueak attacks him. "Yeah we are," says the blonde, dreary. Roy puts out the other hand, "Roy Mustang, L.T. Colonel, and you boys are?"

Edward considered not telling but didn't want to draw anymore attention than what he already has. "My name is Edward, this is my younger brother," he points at Al. "Alphonse, but everyone calls him Al." Ed shakes the man's hand, hoping that his Ishbalan accent had faded, knowing this man had obviously heard his voice by the way he looked at him for the first time with confusion.

"Hughes and Falman said you boys have amazing alchemic skills. And they think you would pass in the State Exams, and they have influenced the state to boys' try it out," Roy smirks slightly, these boys probably wouldn't make it. "Good luck boys, I enjoy hearing of your results. Because if you do pass, you'll have to obey by my every order." Roy pats Edward on the shoulder and walks away with the prisoners being put into cars and taken to prison.

"That bloody jerk, who the hell does he think he is? He has a god complex, you know that Al, im sure he's going to love watching us fail. So im going to prove him wrong. He's gonna wish he never underestimated me." Alphonse was hardly listening to his older brothers ranting, already used to his brothers antics. "But what about me brother can't I do the test as well?" asks Al. Ed stops his rant immediately, hearing his brothers trouble voice. "I don't know if that would be a good idea, I mean what if they ask you to take the suit off, and realize you don't have a..." Ed thought that it would be best not finishing the sentence, knowing that Alphonse was still upset about the fact he has no body. "I understand, brother."

* * *

"So you boys decided to take the exam?" asks Roy. "Of course, I can even wag my tail if you like," says Edward. Roy smiles slightly. "You boys will have to apply by yourselves and can study were ever you see fit."

Ed looks down on the sheet Roy has passed him, a name sticking out more than others. " The Sewing life Alchemist?" Ed says out loud. "Ah, Shou Tucker, the only alchemist that has the authority on transmuting living bodies." Ed and Al gasped and instantly decided to study at the tuckers until the Exam.

"Shou Tucker was the first to create a living chimera, successfully creating a Chimera that could understand the human language and could communicate it as well. He has also taken the State Alchemist Certification Exam."

"A chimera that speaks the Human Language?" Ed asks mostly to himself. " It was a composite beast that was created. At the cost of multiple creatures that had differing genetics or, to put it another way, a Chimera that could understand what a person says, and could speak."

"Awesome" says Al. " In addition to Mr. Tucker, he has a daughter about to turn four, who lives with him." Roy gets out of the car and walks to the door and rings the bell. "Well come on!"

Ed and Al stare at the house, and it was massive, almost three times the size of their old home back in Ishbal. While Ed and Al walk to the door, a large creamed colored dog jumps on top of Edward "Brother!" shouts Al with a panicked voice. "You know you're not allowed to do that Alexander!" yells a little girl. "Oh I am so sorry about this!" says Shou. "You must be Tucker."

Shou walks back inside and picks up books that are scattered around the room. "Yes. I'm very sorry about all of this. We don't have a woman's touch around here. It's like this all around the house, too." Nina, what the little girl is called came up to Al and touched his steel arm, "isn't it heavy, big brother?" she asks with her big innocent eyes. "Yes, big brother is very strong."

Shou Tucker just stares at the boys. "Im sure you will get time to ask of their nature later, see you boys later" says the L.T. Colonel waving goodbye while walking out the door. Shou turns back to the boys. "Well who would have thought that boys your age would be this interested in Alchemy. If there is anything I can do, just ask, okay?" the two unknown Ishabalan boys nodded.

"I would like to see the Chimera you transmuted," asks Ed with eager. "Me too"

Shou's smile disappears instantly. "Oh, it died not long after being transmuted. But I guess the scores mean more. Come with me, ill show you where you can study."Shou leads the boys down to the hallway and goes down into the basement area where, books are placed in shelves neatly placed and in order. Ed and Al almost faint when they see the large room where there are hundreds - no thousands - of books.

"My god brother, there are books I've never seen before" says Alphonse running down to an area where he cannot see a book he is familiar with, while Edward runs to the opposite side grabbing a book and sitting down already reading.

* * *

"Edward are you making progress with your studies?" asks Tucker. "Yeah some, there is so much I don't even know." Shou puts his knife and fork down, leaning on his hand, "the test is very difficult, some adults that have had special training find it hard to pass. But you boys are still so young. You don't have to force yourselves to take it, there are plenty more years to sign up."

"No, we have to sign up as soon as possible.

* * *

For days Edward and Alphonse studied, hardly taking a break unless to use the bathroom, eat and sleep, Al being the exception. One day Ed wondered where Al was and went outside after searching the entire house. When Ed saw Al, Nina and Alexander playing together, in the snow. "Brother look it's snowing" says Al when he sees Edward. Ed joins them and they make snowmen and snow angels. "Al, remember when we were younger, that one winter and we thought the lake was frozen, but it wasn't and we fell in." Al laughed, "yeah we were sick for days, mother thought we had hypothermia, ah, those were nicer days."

Ed just looked up into the sky, watching as the snowflakes dropped one by one to the floor. Ed remembers, that every time it snowed it was one of the greatest days of the year, when Alphonse and Ed would run around all day, laughing and giggling, and their mother would make snow angels and taught them how to ice-skate on the frozen lake. It was always a lovely time, being with friends and family. Mother would make a warm lunch and a lovely dinner.

"I wish you could always stay here after the exam,"says Nina. Ed smiles and starts to draw the transmutation circle on the ground. " What is that?" "This is a transmutation circle, you can wish for anything if you want," he touches the circle and soon a floral headband laid on top of the circle. Ed then puts it on Nina's head.

"Impressive. Hello Al and Ed, I am here to pick you up. It is your birthday today isn't it Ed?" says a voice coming from the front gate. Edward and Al look up to see Hughes standing there happily. "How would you know something like that?" Edward is confused, when did he tell him that. " I am with the research department, but you wrote it down on the entrance exam, remember?" _oh, so that's were he got my birthday from_. Nina looks upset, "ah you, little one, you can come to, it's better if everyone is there."

* * *

Edward and Alphonse were greeted by a woman with a large belly, and Edward was surprised when Nina asks to touch the woman's stomach. "Ah, it moved, it moved" Ed and Al eyes widened in awe and shock. He knew the woman was pregnant but he never heard of a baby moving inside the stomach, _that must feel really freaky._ Not long the food was ready, Ed ate large amounts of cake, only used to getting cake twice a year when mother would make one for his and Al's birthday.

Glacier comes back out from the kitchen with a mug filled with tea, "would anyone like a refill?" everyone turns to her, thanking her, when she grunted and fell to the floor, Hughes started to freak out and ran over to his wife to help. "The baby," she whispers. "The what?" Asks Hughes, "the baby is coming!"

"The what! But the baby isn't due yet!" shouts Hughes. "Well, the baby wants out now!"

Hughes eyes widened. " The doctor! We've to get to the doctor!" Ed sees Al pointing out of the window and looks out and sees the weather. "It's a blizzard" Hughes gets up and grabs a bag, "in that case ill get the doctor here! Sit tight Glacier."

"Wait just a-" but Hughes had already left the house.

* * *

"So what will you need?" asks Al, frantic. "I think towels and -"

"Towels! I'll get the towels," just as Al was about to run off Glacier grunted in pain, Ed and Al had no idea what to do, they were not taught how to birth a child nor how it was born. "The doctor sure is taking a while," says Ed.

"Uh! I can't take this anymore, I'm gonna die!" that was probably the worst thing that Glacier could have said in the situation. "Oh Ed! She said she was gonna die!"

"She couldn't be!" yells Ed, his heart rate probably higher than Glaciers. Then she went quiet.

"She's dead!"

"No! She's lost consciousness"

"When you think about it childbirth is like alchemy, there is a cost in creating human life."

"Childbirth isn't alchemy Al!"

Nina walks towards the bowl of water, Ed clapping his hands together, _there must be something we can do._"Big brother the water is cold." Ed walks towards the water touching the rim when a flash of light brightens the room then fades ns everyone notices that there is steam coming from the water.

"Brother what did you do?" asks Al

"Nothing," said Ed in disbelief.

"But where is the transmutation circle?" Ed shrugs his shoulders, just as confused as Al. "But then how did the water get hot?"

"How would I know?!"

"Its coming!" screams Glacier. The boys panic and run around confused of what to do and in fear that Glacier was gonna die.

* * *

Soon the doctor arrived and the baby was alive and well, "amazing Glacier, she is an angel!" cried Hughes. "Thank you Ed, Nina and Al." the boys nodded and relaxed. "I'm very thankful.

"We did nothing you did all of it."

"You boys stayed by my side. That means something."

* * *

_Afterwards we became more focused in our research of Alchemy, we were willing to do anything to get our bodies back the way they were. The exam was getting closer and closer and we studied more Alchemy every day, quizzing each other and expanding our knowledge further._

"The Exam starts with a written test, than an interview then finally a practical skills test. I can't say anything about how many will apply, but every year only one or two people pass."

"Really only one or two?" asks Ed, _the odds of me getting that a probably very little._

"In the practical skills test only half can bring in their experiments while the others have to do a transmutation on the spot, so what are you boys planning to do?"

* * *

**(The day of the exam)**

Ed and Al stand in the entrance of the building both nervous of what to do, they have decided for Edward to do the exam instead of Al, in case they ask him to remove the armor. So Al will wait for Ed when he finishes.

As Ed enters the building and reaches the large room set up for the exams, Ed walks inside and he catches the eyes of other people taking the exam. Some with wide eyes,others laughing at him._ Ill show them, I'll kick their ass's._ Ed turns and finds a seat in the middle away from the others, he looks up and sees Roy Mustang, who gives him a nod and a reassuring smile. _If I pass this exam he's going to be my superior officer._ "Begin"

Not long Al saw people leaving the building and saw his brother walk toward him, looking somewhat upset. "Brother what happened?" asks Al, concerned. " I didn't make it to the last question."

* * *

Ed walks into the room and covers his eyes with his arm, to avoid the bright light. When his eyes adjust to the light he sees a three-legged chair. _Why does it not fall over. _

"sit down, the chair will except you if you are a true Alchemist. You are an alchemist, you have no time to be afraid." Edward narrows his eyes and grabs the back of th chair and sits down, without it falling over. "Well done, now what are your motivation for taking the test?"

"It's because..." he was at a lost, of what to say. "It's because..? what?"

"It's because I made a promise, I told the only remaining member of my family that I would become a state alchemist."

* * *

_then finally the day of the practical skills exam arrived. _"well im off now, wish me luck."

Nina, runs to him, "big brother wait, here," she passes him a drawing. "You help you." Ed gives her a hug and runs toward the area where the practical skills test is starting.

Ed lines up with the others and listens to the instructor. _I hope I don't get wet, that would end badly._ "We now offer you all of the matter that exists within theses make use of it to transmute whatever you like."

"Whatever I like? What on earth should I do in order to pass?"

Suddenly there was a loud noise and a flash of light and a massive metal tower shot right out of the sky, the alchemist, tried to get up, but he used so much energy to transmute the metal.

"I'll go next," says a man next to Ed. The man knocks down a few trees and gets some water and then there is a large balloon floating in the sky.

"Impressive," says one of the judges.

"He made paper and hydrogen out of the wood and water, huh?"

Then suddenly it popped and blew towards the large metal tower making a larger hole and the hydrogen gas escaping, and pieces of the tower were falling towards the man who had no energy from the transmutation. Ed thought quickly running towards the man clapping his hands together then putting them on the ground causing a bright blue light that went all the way into the sky and then disappeared. Ed opened his eyes seeing petals floating down,_ I did it again, I didn't use a transmutation circle._

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**well this would be the longest chapter ever, i will be using a lot of the main plot in the story. so i hope you enjoyed. all grammar/spelling errors are mine. **


	4. Chapter 4: Cells

**hey sorry this took a while but i have updated, I have watched up to episode 17 in brotherhood, so I will kind of mix between the two. so enjoy and I don't own FMA**

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Chapter 4: Cells.

Ed was now a dog of the military, the Fullmetal Alchemist, an ironic name, but in the end sounded threatening. Sure, becoming part of the military at the current time is probably not the best decision, if no one finds out about his place of origin. The uniform was big, but not at all uncomfortable, somehow he wasn't so happy when he was forced to wear the uniform. He realized in a way it was betrayal; the war between Ishbalan's and the State, was still growing strong. Rebels of Ishbalan's were common, they had spread around the eastern area, and the braver ones, went elsewhere, not wanting to be near the home they once knew.

The war was depressing and had spread all around the eastern area. Ed had recently heard Risembool had been bombed by Ishbalan's. Ed and Al try their best to keep a calm face and try to avoid the subject that had anything to do with the war. Alphonse and Edward have not gone on a mission yet, but he knew it was inevitable, he was going to be forced one day into that war. The higher-ups knew of his abilities and would put them to good use. Until that day, he would as he was told until the day he would dread, the day he was forced into the Ishbalan war, an Ishbalan hiding within the military, fighting his own kind. Ed knew he needed to be part of the military, but the risk was huge, and if anyone found out he was from Ishbal, his brother was sure as dead.

Ed opened his newly owned pocket-watch in which he engraved 'don't forget 3 Oct, 11'. He looked down at it with sad eyes. To anyone beside Al and himself, they would just think it was just a date. And that was already planned, but he was not yet to be in war, but to deal with a group of Ishbalan's, since this was his first mission and the higher-ups wanted to observe him, Colonel Mustang and his guard Riza Hawkeye.

Ed was nervous about the mission, he tried his best not to show it, but the fear of seeing his own, suffering, it just broke him to even think, if he saw a dead body, there was going to be hell. As the two-hour long journey with Mustang, Hawkeye and himself to North City, he was starting to feel claustrophobic. He was trying to breathe, but his lungs refused to budge. He could feel a hand touch his back and rubbing in circular comforting movements. He looked up from looking at the floor of the car, and he smiled grimly at Riza before turning his attention outside. Ishbal was a desert town, not an arctic wasteland. He subconsciously grabbed his coat and pulled tightly, trying - unsuccessfully - to get some heat.

Not a word was spoken on the drive, just the continuous whooshing of the windscreen wipers, as the rain poured down onto the car. When they finally arrived, the rain had stopped but the clouds remained. In a way reflecting how Ed was feeling inside. He hesitated before getting out of the car, walking beside his superior officer and the first lieutenant. Ed took a large breath, before continuing, keeping his face calm, and emotionless. As they walked towards a building that looked relatively like Eastern Command. The building wasn't very large, and was very unkept. Mustang grabbed open the large wooden double doors and let them inside before letting it close behind him.

The inside was very different from the outside, the walls being a bright white and the wall clear and blank, the place was very clean and reminded him of a hospital, and not the good type. The clerk at the front desk had perked up at hearing the door open and close and saw Mustang and Hawkeye, but the other one he had never meet. "Nice to see you Colonel Flame and First lieutenant Hawkeye," the young man held his hand out and shook hands with the pair, but after he laid eyes on the very young man, who was emotionless as a rock and quiet frankly scared the young man. The blonde boy surprised him, he was standing right beside Flame. "Who's the shorty?"

Ed's mask dropped and his anger seethed through at being mentioned as short, which raised his blood pressure and compelled him to attack the man. Ed jumped up, when strong arms wrapped around his waist pulling his back into a hard chest. "Who are you calling short?! I'll break your legs and stick'em on your god damned head!" Ed fought and struggled, and tried breaking Mustangs hold on him before he gave up, when he got tired.

"Ice, this is the newest member to my team, Edward, also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. The youngest to take and also pass the State Exam, try not to enrage him, as he has a big temper, as you have noticed," Mustang realizes Edward after he thinks Ed has calmed down from his rant. "Although he is still a child," Mustang added to irritate Ed.

Ed just glares and brushes off, nonexistent dust. "We are here to pick up the Ishbalan's, if you don't mind," interrupts Hawkeye. The Ice alchemist looks through his desk and grabs one of the keys. "Come with me," the young man waves them over taking them out though the door on the other side of the room. The room was full of cells, and inside each one is a single Ishbalan, since Ishbal is a religious place, Ishbalan's refuse to use alchemy as it is a sin, so the military didn't have to worry much.

The Ishbalan's looked miserable, eyes looking at the floor, wishing it would open up and consume them. Ed could hardly begin to understand the feeling the must be going through. They all looked up when the door was unlocked and opened. Ed froze the second one of the inmates eyes landed on him. He could see that there was almost twenty cells on each side of the hall. He looked in every cell, feeling more and more upset. _These guys are innocent, im the one who needs to be locked up in a cell._

Then Ed stopped dead in his tracks. Denis Douglas sat there in his cell, eyes widening when he catches Ed's. "Denis," Ed whispers, only loud enough that Denis hears. "Edward, is that you?" Denis stands up Red eyes searching over Edwards body trying to pinpoint a feature that would identify him as Ed. Denis's eyes locked onto the necklace around Ed's neck, noticing it is in shape of a cross, made from a stone part of a church that was blown up during the war. "Edward, what are you doing, you're in a military uniform, how . . . how could you betray your own race!"

Denis's raised voice, caught the attention of the others. Roy eyeing Edward, walking towards the cell to see who the heck he was talking to. "Denis Douglas, a doctor and a huge religious fanatic," says the Ice alchemist, walking with Hawkeye to the cell. Denis was glaring at Ed with betrayal and hatred in his eyes. _How could he betray his own race, he really is a son of the devil. _Denis then spits at Edwards feet, earning a blast of cold air to the face from the Ice alchemist.

_Don't cry Edward, he doesn't know that you're doing this for your brother... he wouldn't understand even if he did know, he always hated the Elric's. Don't let him get the better of you. _But no matter how hard he tried, he could feel tears escaping his eyes. Edward had a large urge to just yell at him that he wouldn't understand. But he resisted, just letting the tears fall, and walked away from the cell, walking past the others, not even caring if they saw him cry. The tears that he bottled inside just bursted and he ran out of the room, sitting on the stairs outside the building, sobbing and angrily mumbling words. "Just why wont they understand?"

"Understand what Edward?"

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**hoped you enjoyed and Roy will be the first to know that Edward and Alphonse are Ishbalan's. so ill update ASAP! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Revealed

**two chapters in one day! coz im nice, i dont own FMA! **

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Chapter 5: Revealed.

Ed looks up into Obsidian eyes. Roy's narrowed slightly in suspicion, confused about why Edward was so upset. _That Ishbalan acted as if he knew Edward, he even said 'how could you betray your own race'. It doesn't make much sense, but Edward isn't an Ishbalan. He does have a slight south-eastern accent, but he isn't religious, he doesn't pray and he practices Alchemy, so . . . _

Could see the wheels turning in Roy's head as he pondered over Edward. _When I first meet him, his skin was white and wouldn't get darker no matter the heat and if he stayed out in the sun, he wouldn't get sunburnt or tanned it would stay the same, and his eyes, they looked glassy and fake, like he was wearing contacts. Could that mean he really is Ishbalan?_

"Ed do you know that man?" Ed jumped at sound of Mustangs voice._ He's suspicious of me! He knows something. _Without thinking, Ed jumped up and ran as fast as he could to get away from Mustang and that prison of Ishbalan's. It was stupid running Edward knew, but he just couldn't stand being near that place, full of people he knows and doesn't.

Roy was surprised when Ed ran off, but that proved to what he was thinking was correct. He ran after Edward, dodging all of the traps and buildings he demolished to block Roy from his path, slowing him down. When Edward got into the North city center, he used the ground to get himself onto the roofs and run in the opposite direction, making Roy take sharp turns, and blowing up anything that got in his way.

Ed was getting tired, his leg ached and his lungs were burning but he continued on, jumped off a low building roof, and running out of the alley and running though the crowd trying to hide within. Roy knew he would try to hide in the crowd but was easily able to spot him, and then he ran off again. After running for a few minutes dodging between people and pushing his way through the crowds looking behind him, probably looking like he was running away from a cop, as he was only wearing his military pants and black tee-shirt while Roy was fully dressed in his uniform.

While jaywalking across the road and heard a beeping of a horn, before the loud 'thump' was heard. Jerking his head back he saw Roy knocked to the ground. Roy didn't see the large dripping of blood on the side of his head, but even though his superior officer was hurt he continued and ran off, but when he got to the bridge that lead him away from North City he was jumped on and he and whoever jumped on him, went rolling down into the cold water below.

He fought the person off, clapping his hands together and touching the ground pushing the man or woman off of him, resurfacing to the air and taking deep breaths. Then another person came up behind him, grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back, but not putting on handcuffs or anything of the sort. He was taken out of the water and placed on his back and looking at his captor.

Brown eyes and long blonde hair. Riza Hawkeye. He froze. Not long after, Roy came up from the small river, soaking wet from the rain. Roy looked up at Ed, noticing the lack of white in his skin. _Its brown, and his eyes, there . . . they're red . . . Ed really is an Ishbalan._

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**_Finally i have exposed Ed! nothing bad will happen to him. because i cant do that to him._**


	6. Chapter 6: Truth

**new chapter up :) yah! im half way through brotherhood at the moment so i might add pieces of the two series together in this, if i think to add the homunculi in, it will be the brotherhood homunculi coz i like pride! i dont own anythin! on with the chapter**

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Chapter 6: Truth.

Roy just stood rooted to the spot by the small flowing river. _Ed . . . he's an Ishbalan._ Ed remained still not looking at either person. _They know! That's just great Elric, they're probably going to give you to the higher-ups and to be executed. _But there was no chinking of handcuffs or the cocking of a gun. Ed finally looked up at his comrades and they were just staring at him, as if waiting for an explanation. Ed just remained silent, and unresponsive until Hawkeye let go, her sharp eye making sure Ed doesn't run for the hills - or mountains to be exact.

Roy held out is hand to the equally wet Ishbalan, Ed took it and stood up gripping his wet clothes, clapping his hands and alchemically drying them instantly. "I'm sorry–" he was cut off when a gun was poked into the back of his head. Ed putting his arms up in surrender, head bowed, looking much like a kicked puppy. "Do not say a word," whispers Riza. Slowly kneeling on the floor, taking Ed with her. Ed noticed that someone was probably watching, and she made him duck to avoid being seen.

"Wait here," says Roy looking at Edward with an unreadable expression and walked off, hands in his pockets putting on his gloves, before entering the building. He grabbed the keys from the Ice Alchemist, not speaking a word to the major. Roy glowered over to the cell and shot the Ishbalan an angry glare before knocking the Ishbalan against the wall. "Your going to come quietly, and tell me how you know my comrade or I can blow you to pieces, you pick which one tickles your fancy, so what is it going to be, huh?" The Ishbalan nodded as best he could from the angle in which he was pushed against the wall.

Roy harshly puts on the handcuffs, not caring if they were too tight. And pushed him up and led the Ishbalan to the car, the Major just stared at Roy as he lead the Ishbalan – Denis was it? – towards the vehicle. Roy pushed the Ishbalan into the car and knocked his head on top of the door frame before locking the door from the outside. Riza and Edward were already inside and Roy got in the driver's side and locked the doors. He began to drive down the snow-coated road.

"Now you two are going to tell what the fuck is going on here! Right here, right now! Start explaining!" Ed had never seen Roy so angry and frustrated while working with him, or since he meet him, Ed knew he was a workaholic, egotistical and a well-known womanizer, but this was some part of Roy he had never seen, and from the look of Riza, neither had she. This was going to be one incessant conversation. He didn't look up at anyone, remaining silent, the car remained the same for about a few minutes until Ed thought it was best to get it out and end this hell immediately.

"Me and Alphonse were born in Ishbal, but we aren't pure Ishbalan, our father wasn't from Ishbal from what I remember. Our father was an Alchemist, but didn't work for the state. Last time I saw him I was only five years old, he left without saying goodbye, but we did see him when he left. After that our mother Trisha, raised us on her own. Alphonse and I studied Alchemy secretly, and now im glad I did –"

"Alchemy is forbidden in Ishbal! Yet you decided to learn it anyway! You know Alchemy is a devil's curse!" Denis shouted, not caring that the officers heard him. "What would you know?! You didn't see your own mother shot down did you, that man would have killed both me and Alphonse, if I hadn't learned alchemy! Unlike you, I had a younger brother I wanted to protect and you–" Ed pointed at Denis, anger seething through his voice, almost like poison. _What would he understand?! My baby brother saw his mother die at the age of eleven! No one should have to see that!_

Denis didn't speak, knowing of Edward's hot headedness and not wanting to piss the boy off more. Ed looked straight up at Roy, _he's gonna find out sooner or later, might as well tell them he has no body. _"Alphonse and I performed human transmutation to bring our mother back." Riza and Roy's eyes widened when he mentioned the forbidden alchemy. "We didn't get what we wanted out of it, the body wasn't hers. And when the lights went away I could see Alphonse, I could see the clothes he was wearing earlier but he was gone. I knew he was taken by whatever created that monster. So I found that armour that you see Alphonse and tried walking but my leg was missing and I was bleeding.

"I was desperate, I lost my mother, father, I couldn't lose Alphonse, I sacrificed my right arm as material to get my brothers soul back and attach it to the armour. If you looked inside... you would see that he... has... no body inside," Ed started crying, hating remembering the time when he lost his brother and how it was his fault that his brother had no body to walk in.

"We joined the military to seek out the philosopher's stone to get our bodies back and I promised him I would get his body back even if I have to sacrifice myself to do it."

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**hope you enjoyed, there is a cyclone happening where i am at the moment so i had nothing better to do! :) ill update soon!**


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